ShipHome Syndrome
by Acel Myst
Summary: An AU fic--Bulma is a pampered, though fiery, lady and is kidnapped for ransom by Vegita, cold hearted captain of the pirate ship Sea Tiger. With only one friend on board, how will Bulma escape? A tale of love growing out of hate on the high seas!
1. Adrift

Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me, I do not own Dragonball Z; hence I do not own Vegita, Bulma, or any other DBZ character who may appear in my works.  Darn.  winks

-------------------------------------------------

"Now, now, that's no way to behave.  And to think, I thought you a lady."  His voice was like a steel fist in a kid glove—cordiality and refinement overlaying a ruthless cold.  His tone showed no strain, only a mocking hint of scandalized breeding and an edge of amusement.  Damn him, he was laughing at her!  She felt a growl rising in her throat, but lifted herself high, chin raised as though she felt neither the sting of her mouth or the trickle of blood down her chin.

"The title of lady does not mean the bearer is helpless," she haughtily replied.  "Only that she avoids coarseness until it is necessary."

He chuckled, a soft, low note of velvet that somehow sent shivers down her spine, and slowly applauded.  "Very clever, my lady.  Very clever indeed…but I'm afraid you'll find your cleverness won't avail you much now." Steel glinted in his cold, dark eyes and all her strength was scarcely enough to keep the tremor from her voice as she replied.

"What do you want with me?" she demanded.

The dark man grinned lightly.  "Not so clever now, are we, my lady?"  He ran his eyes over her proudly, studying her sky blue eyes and rare blue locks.   There could be no mistake, she was just as described.  A beauty that went beyond the rarity of her coloring—ivory skin layered over delicate bones to create uniquely feminine beauty, like a statue of a goddess.  It could be no other—this was Lady Bulma.

He reached out and brushed fingers down her jaw line.  She abruptly jerked away, just as he expected—but not before a smirk slipped into place on his face.  "Daughter of a powerful lord, fiancé of an equally powerful one.  And you cannot guess what I might want with you?"

Bulma shuddered with rage. Nothing, nothing, nothing that he could do was worse than using her against her family.  How despicable could this man be?  _Don't be ridiculous Bulma, he attacked your ship, killed your escort, and kidnapped you—did you really expect him to be kind?_  She lifted her chin.  "You won't get away with this.  My father and Tallis won't allow it."  Pride rung clear in her voice as she pictured her father, standing tall and strong, with her fiancé at his side—handsome and dashing.

Vegita laughed, hard and cold, but clearly amused at her preposterous posturing.  "Don't be ridiculous.  They love you—and therein lies their weakness.  They will do whatever is necessary to have you back."

_"My lady!  You should not stand so near the edge!"_

_Bulma smiled and turned around to face the familiar, plump figure.  "Oh, don't fuss Sarah.  I'm fine!"  Bulma turned back to face the gray-green vista, relishing the wind blowing through her loose hair._

_Behind her Sarah gasped, scandalized.  "My lady—your hair!  Oh, and look at your dress, all spattered with salt water…oh, my lady, I'm afraid you may have ruined it!"_

_Bulma half-turned and laughed, a light, airy sound like music—joy made audible.  "Sarah, there are worse things than loose hair and spoiled frocks!"_

_The maid clucked her tongue impatiently.  "My lady, to have your hair down in front of so many men is indecent!"_

_Bulma completed the turn and copied her companion's stern posture teasingly.  "Sarah, to have my hair up in the sea wind is dreadfully uncomfortable!  Besides, I doubt very much if the finest of my father's navy are much discomfited by loose hair."  She offered a sweetly charming smile to the nearest sailor, causing a light blush to grace his youthful face._

_Sarah tried to look stern, but couldn't help but laugh…._

Bulma sat up abruptly, gasping in shock.  Her hands began to shake as she recalled the last time she had seen Sarah's face—streaked with tears…tears and…and blood…. The fine trembling spread to her whole body and grew into violent shuddering; finally she could no longer hold back the tears that she had fought for the whole wearying day.

She reached out and pulled her pillow firmly against her chest, curling around it and burying her face as she laid her weary body down again.  Hot tears soaked the cloth, making it cling to her face.  She continued to sob, clinging to the pillow in spite of the suffocating fabric.  She felt sure the damp warmth was the closest thing to a compassionate touch she would find on this ship.

The sapphire lady cried until her muscles were sore with it; until she had sobbed out all her pain and loss, all her rage and lust for vengeance, all her fear of the vicious captain and her worry that her father and her love would be strong enough not to rescue her.  Finally, she cried just a bit in self-disappointment; in bitter sorrow that she had, for a moment, been charmed by Vegita's clever tongue and feral eyes.

"Good morning, my lady!"  The voice was a pleasant light tenor, cheerful and friendly—and loud enough to pull her from her exhausted doze.

Bulma sat up, rubbing the salty grit from her eyes and trying to get a good look at who had come into her room.  The man was fairly tall, with dark hair and laughing eyes, and his smile as he met her gaze was kind.

"The captain told me I am to see to your needs—would you like to eat breakfast with him, or in here?"  As he asked he opened the door to the closets built into her room—she had seen them the night before, but had been too tired to wonder what was in them—and began to dig through them industriously.

"In here, thank you," Bulma replied quietly, her stomach turning at the mere thought of seeing Vegita again—she wasn't sure she would be able to eat in his presence.

"Yes madam…in that case, I'll fetch along a tray shortly."  The young man turned back and studied her hard for a moment.  Suddenly feeling a bit exposed, Bulma pulled the blankets around herself more tightly…but he quickly grinned reassuringly and delved back into the mysterious cupboards.  As a lady of breeding, Bulma found herself quite unsure what to think of this character…coming into her room while she slept?  Then again, he had such kind eyes…and he had smiled at her sweetly, rather than lasciviously or cruelly.

The dark haired stranger abruptly emerged from his temporary den, grinning adorably in triumph.  "This should do perfectly!" he called with remarkable enthusiasm before pulling out a dress.  It was prettily, though modestly, cut and in a soft but practical pale blue lambswool.  As he stepped away from the closet, Bulma spotted a veritable warren of women's clothes.  _Does he kidnap women often?_ she wondered wryly…but wisely chose not to voice her question.  She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know the answer.

Her new keeper laid the dress out for her carefully and gave her another reassuring smile.  "Your other dress was in a bit of a state—I'll see what I can do about it later.  But for now, this should be perfect.  I'll go and fetch you some breakfast; you can clean up a bit if you like."  His considerate tone and the gentleness in his eyes spoke of understanding for the tearstains marking her face, and for a moment Bulma felt tears draw near the surface again.  But no.  She would manage.  He nodded toward a steaming basin of water—hallelujah, fresh, by its smell!—and left her in peace for the moment.

Slowly, Bulma crept out of her bed, stretching muscles made tense by fear and stress and sorrow.  She spent a long moment just inhaling the blissful steam before stripping off the shift she had slept in and seizing the washcloth.  To wash with fresh, hot water on board ship was a luxury…to do so with the soap her aide had provided, heaven!

Upon returning to the dress, she found that the young man had also discreetly laid out clean undergarments—bless him!  Being clean and putting on fresh clothes from the skin out helped Bulma regain her spirits like nothing else could have; in her opinion, that boy was an angel.  The dress fit like a glove, and the dignified lady of yesterday's encounter found herself dancing and twirling like a child as she took up the brush next to her washing basin and, with the help of soap and water, repaired the damage done her hair.

With a final twirl, she settled into a chair and managed to take a fair look at the cabin assigned to her.  It was actually quite nice; a comfortable bed, a small table with a pair of chairs, the table holding the basin with a mirror above it…really quite comfortable.  And even tastefully decorated; and on a ship full of men!

A light tap sounded on the door and, pleased with the courtesy, Bulma responded with a sweetly voiced, "Come in!"

To her surprise, her assigned helper was not holding a tray of food, and his expression was apologetic.  "I'm sorry my lady, but the captain respectfully requests your presence at his breakfast."

Dread filled Bulma's stomach with rocks as she watched his helpless shrug and knew that this was no request—it was a demand.

---------------------------------------------

AN:  Heh, gotta love that ending.  And yes, the guy being such a doll to Bulma is someone from the show…first person to post a review guessing correctly who it is gets a cookie!  grins  Oh, and you don't count, Takarra.  Please review!


	2. Breakfast with the King

Thanks for all the reviews!  Unfortunately, no one has guessed it right so far.  All your Goku guesses were close though, so I'll give you all cookies anyway.  grins  You'll see the correct answer in just a moment!  winks  hands out cookies

Now a few responses to reviewers (my how I love you all!):

Jedi Spiderfan- No, I actually started writing this story before PotC came out…it is a bit like it in that there're pirates though.  grins  The original inspiration for this story was a picture on a very excellent site called the VB Sanctuary—I thought Veggie looked like a pirate in it.

Pikachu Hunter- Thanks so much; you're a doll!  And you're right, it would make sense for it to be Goku, but I don't like to make sense all the time.  grins

VegetasWifey- I completely agree—evil is totally sexy.

Thanks to all who reviewed—please do again!  grins

Now, just a warning—Goku is introduced in this chapter and he's not quite as he is in the series.  Actually, he's quite charming, but a bit ruthless—what Takarra and I call his Kakarrot persona.  So don't whine to me that Goku is out of character—it's on purpose.  Deal with it.  Remember, it's an AU fic.  My world.  grins and winks  Oh, and I forgot to put in the last AN that this title is a working title and may not stay…and it is intended to be a pun of "Stockholm Syndrome."  Now, read, review, and enjoy!

------------------------------------

Bulma endeavored to hide her nerves as she paced her companion along the deck.  He tossed her a reassuring smile.  "It'll be all right.  My father's in there too…he's Vegita's first mate.  He looks pretty intimidating, but he'll look after you.  I'm in there sometimes, but today I have other chores."  The look of exaggerated dread on his face coaxed a smile from her reluctant lips, and he grinned in return.  "That's a girl.  Now, here you are!  Try to eat something…and don't be afraid of Vegita.  He won't hurt you, and if he's too awful to you, just tap my father under the table and he'll make him quit.  I made sure he would save you a seat next to him.  Good luck, and if you get really stuck, just call me!  I'll be listening."

As he turned to leave, Bulma made a crucial observation.  "Wait!  I don't know your father!  I don't even know your name!"

The young man blushed and smiled, scratching the back of his head.  "Gee, sorry about that.  My father's the one with the eye patch, his name is Goku.  I'm Gohan.  Bye now!"  With that Gohan turned and jogged to another part of the ship, presumably to some chore.

Alone now, Bulma drew herself up and took a deep breath, regaining her composure before reaching for the door and entering the most terrifying place she could currently imagine.

She walked in like a queen, proud, strong, and confident.  She nodded in acknowledgement of the others present and made her way toward the head of the table…where Vegita sat like a king holding court.

As she approached the captain, a man at his right stood and bowed cordially.  "It is a pleasure to meet you my lady…I see reports of your beauty were not exaggerated."  He took her hand and kissed it lightly before releasing it and standing.  As she curtseyed in response, she took careful note of his appearance.  Wild black hair seemed to riot in every direction, and it, combined with his bright red eye patch, gave him an air of rakish charm.  "I'm Goku, first mate of the _Sea Tiger_."

Bulma smiled and curtseyed again.  "I'm Lady Bulma, daughter of Lord Demetrius, betrothed of Lord Tallis of Vaniya."  Her tone was formal, but there was a hint of irony in her voice that showed her understanding that this distinguished title was the reason she was here rather than safe at home.  Her eyes smiled sweetly at Goku while her expression remained merely pleasant.  He pulled out a chair for her—the one between himself and Vegita—and she sat daintily.

It was quiet as Goku sat himself, everyone looking at Vegita to make the next move.  He remained silent, lounging comfortably, a pensive expression on his face.

_Well, he certainly has a penchant for the dramatic_, Bulma thought irritably.  _How long is this arrogant attention hog going to keep us waiting?  Fine, I'll speak first._

Just as she opened her mouth, some polite but curt phrase on the tip of her tongue, the captain's rich voice cut through the thick silence like a knife—albeit a beautiful one.  "Thank you for joining us, my dear.  Very sociable of you."  His was a soft voice…deceptively so, she was sure.  But that didn't stop her spine from tingling at the sound.  She silently cursed her body for betraying her, even so privately—she did _not _want to think of him as attractive, no matter how much he was.  Firmly filling her mind with thoughts of her Tallis, she turned her eyes demurely to the captain to reply.

"Surely I could do no less, having been shown such courtesy already, Captain," she replied, a thin veneer of civility covering her sarcasm.

Vegita chose to ignore her tone and gestured around the table.  "As you can see, I often dine with my oldest and most trusted comrades…my officers, if you will.  You are welcome to join us for meals."

He then turned his sharp gaze to her and studied her closely.  As his eyes coursed over her form, she felt suddenly that her new dress was far too thin—it was almost as though she could feel the heat of his gaze on her skin.  Feeling distinctly uncomfortable, she fought the urge to slouch and cringe away.  Finally, his eyes wandered back to meet hers and a smirk dropped into place on his face.

"I see Gohan found you some decent clothes in the midst of all that mess.  They suit you, you know…."  His smirk showed an emotion above and beyond appreciation.

Why on earth would that send shivers down her spine?  Bulma shook off the feeling and began to summon up every ounce of indignation she could muster—though she wasn't sure it would be enough.

However, before her lack could become apparent, Goku cut in.  "All right Vegita—enough hassling the girl.  Let's just eat already!"

After a long, hard look at his first mate, Vegita nodded slowly.  "Very well."  His eyes turned toward the food, and Bulma could scarce help sighing in relief.  His gaze confused her desperately, and she was in no hurry to feel it on her again.

Bulma picked at the food on her plate, keeping her gaze fixed firmly at the table.  She would not, could not, risk catching the captain's eye.  She felt horribly conspicuous as the only female at the table, and it took all of her control to keep her composure.  She found she wanted desperately to hug herself tightly or run away from this whole mess…but she couldn't.  She was a lady, well raised by a wise and loving father and a strong and proud mother.  She was strong.  She refused to bow to the desires of these rough men.

A soft pat on the knee startled her until she realized it was coming from her right—Goku's side—and was purely platonic.  Feeling comforted, Bulma smiled softly and was able to choke down a few more bites.

Bulma felt Vegita's eyes on her a few more times throughout the meal, but he did not speak to her again.  When he finished his food, he rose and left without a farewell to either her or his men.  Apparently the other occupants of the table were quite used to this, however, and their conversations continued interrupted.

"Well my lady, if you are finished, may I escort you to your room?"  Goku's voice, spoken quietly and surprisingly near.  It was very like Gohan's in timbre and tone, but it was a few shades deeper.

Bulma nodded; of all the people she had met on this ship, he and his son were the only ones to give the impression of trustworthiness.  She stood and took his arm, tracing her steps back to her cabin.

Goku spoke softy as they walked, his voice even, the words rolling neatly to the beat of their matched steps.  "I think you will be happy here, if you will let yourself.  The captain isn't so bad once you're used to him, and neither are most of the men.  As long as you don't try anything stupid, you'll be allowed to do whatever you like most of the time."

_As long as you don't try anything stupid._ His voice had stayed gentle, but there was steel behind it.  Perhaps Goku wasn't really a friend—he was kind, yes, but he would brook no rebellion.  Which, she supposed, was a good enough quality in a first mate…but she couldn't count on him for help.  Not if she wanted to get out of here….

"Here you are my lady.  I hope your day is a pleasant one."  Goku bowed once more before leaving her at her door.

Bulma slipped inside, torn between disappointment and relief.  To add to her discomfort, out of the discomfiting presence of the sailors, she was beginning to feel hungry for more than the few bites she had managed to choke down.

Moving to take a seat, a smile lit her face as she saw the breakfast tray on her small table.  She again blessed Gohan liberally as she sat down to eat—she had the feeling she was going to be needing her strength.

Bulma pulled her shawl closer around her arms as she walked the deck, admiring sea and stars.  She came to a stop near the prow and leaned against the railing, closing her eyes and feeling the salty wind comb through her hair with tender fingers.  She had always loved the sea, and sailing…so it was not hard to imagine herself out of this situation and exist purely in the moment.  The only things left in the universe for her was the wind, gentle as a lover, the smell of the sea like perfume, and the gently swaying deck beneath her feet, rocking her comfortingly.

The clearing of a throat broke the illusion and startled her into jumping as she spun quickly to see the disturbance.  "Oh, Gohan, you startled me."

The dark young man looked genuinely apologetic.  "I'm very sorry my lady…I didn't want to interrupt you, but your supper is in your cabin, and I didn't want it to get cold."

Bulma gave him a kind smile.   "Oh, don't worry Gohan.  It's fine.  I'll just come in."  Bulma adjusted her shawl again and started toward her sanctuary.  Gohan caught up with her in a few long strides and cleared his throat again.

"My lady…there's one thing more.  The captain would like to see you in his cabin after you eat…and he wants to know if you play chess."

-----------------------------------------

Well, who can guess what'll be in the next chapter?  Perhaps a chess game?  My, aren't you clever!  grins  A cookie goes to every reviewer of this chapter!  Even you, Tak!


End file.
